Born in November 1980 in Newport Beach, California, CJ Wilson grew up a child of the Nintendo Generation. He and his family lived in Huntington Beach, California, where CJ attended a Montessori School in Fountain Valley. It was there at Montessori that CJ developed his work ethic and his constant pursuit of knowledge:

"I've been really lucky to either learn things the right way through my family or by seeing other people make mistakes and avoiding the same ones," says CJ. "But when I was 7 years old, I really learned from making my own mistake. At Montessori, we had to do all of our schoolwork (which at the time was long division!) before we'd be allowed to eat lunch and play. One day, I decided I would test the system (or maybe I was just lazy that day!). I held out until about 2pm and the teachers wouldn't budge. I finally caved, did my math, and never shrugged the work again." This lesson CJ learned at 7 years old paid off: through perseverance, hard work, and will power, The Lefty went from simply an "above average" athlete to a solid Major Leaguer in only a few years.

After graduating high school, CJ was not drafted and only offered walk-on roles at Division I universities. He decided to attend Santa Ana Junior College as a 17 year old. "Realistically, I was physically behind and couldn't compete at the D1 level yet. Don Sneddon and his coaching staff at Santa Ana really gave me the chance to work my way into maturity by emphasizing self-discipline. I wanted to be a Major Leaguer and knew I could do it with the right amount of work and focus. "

In November 1999, before his spring 2000 sophomore season at Santa Ana, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles offered CJ a large scholarship. He jumped at the chance, thinking it could be a way to get leverage for the June Draft. Everything went well that year (regarding both batting and pitching); CJ was named the MVP of both the league and the statewide Junior College Association. Yet despite all of his statistics and accolades, he still went undrafted for the third year in a row.

CJ remembers "thinking about the 2000 draft with a lot of confidence. I had put up some great numbers as a pitcher and hitter and won many different awards. But when the first day happened and I wasn’t drafted yet, I was motivated to take it up another notch, both physically and academically. "

So The Lefty went off to seek the proper college experience: life on campus and daily baseball practice now had to make room for his passion, film. At LMU, he accepted a heavy course load and attended classes with famous actors, writers, and directors. "It's pretty easy to focus on getting good grades in film classes when you can see the Hollywood sign from your dorm room!"CJ established his major, Screenwriting.

After a relatively down year on the field, CJ was finally drafted in the fifth round by the Texas Rangers and MLB scout, Tim Fortugno. Ironically, CJ knew Fortugno because they were both Huntington Beach residents; when CJ was a young teenager, Fortugno attempted to give him a pitching lesson but he rebuffed him. CJ says of Fortugno recruiting him, "Tim believed in me and took a chance on me. It was the happiest day of my life. "

The next few years, The Lefthander started off by flying through the Minor Leagues only to hit major obstacles head on:

• 2001 - in only 5 weeks, was promoted from rookie ball to low-A ball mid season, then suffered stress fracture in leg
• 2002 - from High A ball All-Star to complete game playoff win in AA.
• 2003 - AA ace to open the season, Tommy John Surgery in August
• 2004 - missed entire season, setbacks from surgery including nerve damage

In 2005, after missing 18 months of baseball, CJ began spring training. The first batter he faced was in a Major League split-squad game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Lefty made a stellar impression and played a few games in the Majors later that year.

"I've never been as disconnected on the mound as I was that night in Maryvale, Arizona. But somewhere in between begging my arm not to fall off and knowing I was a legitimate Big Leaguer, I had the best fastball of my life. It was surreal to have Orel Hershiser call down and tell you to warm up!"

While CJ grew as a baseball player, he also blossomed as a philanthropist. The Lefty is active with community projects ranging from the Boys and Girls Club, D. A. R. E. , Camp Ailihpomeh (The Texas Hemophilia Summer Camp), Scottish Rite Children's Hospital, Cooks Children's Hospital, and more.

He also developed his own official foundation, CJ Wilson's Children's Charity, which primarily reaches out to local children through fun and family oriented events. "Raising money is not the only goal, I also want to increase compassion and service awareness in the current generation. Instead of catering to the 'fancy' folks, we show kids ranging from 12-25 that they really can make a difference. By the time they're mature and successful adults, they'll have helped countless people and causes because they see the good side of giving back at a young age. "

As CJ’s philanthropic efforts spread through the community, he thrived in the Major Leagues. The Lefthander’s real breakthrough season came in 2007 when he became the closer for The Texas Rangers, which "was an absolute dream come true. "He was 11 for 12 in saves in just his second full season in the Majors.

The year 2008 brought more opportunity but also more disappointment as nagging injuries eventually led to poor performance and arm surgery before the season was even over. "I made the mistake to try and tough it out, but eventually the pain was so bad, surgery was the only option. That off-season was my most critical ever, as I had to prove that my '07 season was not a fluke, but a window into my potential. "

In 2009, CJ came full circle with career bests in almost every statistical category, increased improvement, and renewed momentum when it was needed most. "Baseball gives me all the opportunities in the world and in turn I live life to the fullest. Living life, cutting loose, is essential. My extreme dedication to baseball mixed with creative desire produces an interesting effect: An excess of energy where productivity is the only result."

So expect a lot of updates…!